Anctil, McAllister-Grande honored with Carol Ishimoto Award

Jaime McAllister-Grande was on hold for a call when she opened an email about the Carol Ishimoto Award. She expected to read about one of her colleagues, but instead did a double take when she saw the word “congratulations.”

McAllister-Grande, Harvard Library’s manager for user services and direct access processing, and Anna Anctil, senior human resources consultant to Harvard College Library, were both surprised to find out they received this year’s Carol Ishimoto Award for Distinguished Service.

Their humility marks one of the reasons they stood out for the honor, which is given to a member or group of the professional staff who advances the mission of Harvard College Library through exceptional contributions and leadership, and in particular, who contributes in areas beyond the standard responsibilities of his or her position. It was created in 1991 through an endowment established by Carol Ishimoto, former associate librarian of Harvard College for cataloging and processing.

“I actually had the privilege of knowing Carol Ishimoto,” said Vice President for Harvard Library and Roy E. Larsen Librarian for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Sarah Thomas. “She was quite a formidable woman. Getting the Carol Ishimoto award is a big deal.”

The award traditionally applied to a member of the Harvard College Library staff. This year, in context of heightened collaboration, nominees were invited from both the Harvard College Library and the Harvard Library.